Title: LONG RANGE TRANSPORTATION AND FINANCIAL PLANNING PROCESS FOR THE PITTSBURGH METROPOLITAN REGION
Abstract: Because of the long range planning mandates for Metropolitan Planning Organizations contained in the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991, the Southwestern Pennsylvania Regional Planning Commission (SPRPC) has embarked on a major public/private planning effort for the Pittsburgh metropolitan region. For this process, SPRPC has formed an influential advisory board to develop the comprehensive transportation investment strategy for the six-county Greater Pittsburgh area. The 70-member panel, known as the Regional Transportation Partnership, includes government, business, and community leaders from the area. Operating through a series of committees and task forces, the Partnership is addressing the key policy and technical issues which are arising from this strategy. Under the guidance of this advisory board, SPRPC staff is developing a series of alternative land use and transportation scenarios. These scenarios will be evaluated on the basis of mobility, clean air, financial feasibility and other factors. While none of these options are considered to be the final plan, it is felt that by looking at various, distinct options, certain advantages of each will appear. These advantages will then be used to develop a final plan. Each option is vastly different than others in terms of types of transportation projects, geographic location and land usage. The four options being evaluated are: 1) The Concentrated Growth Option - transportation investment and land usage is limited to the three major growth centers of the region; 2) The Valley and Suburban Renaissance Option - investments are geared to rebuilding the industrial valley communities and connecting them to employment centers in the region; 3) The New Growth Option - this option emphasizes a continuing development into the rural areas and stresses new highways; and 4) The Congestion Management Option - this is a no-build option where the transportation investment is spent on reducing and preventing congestion, and where IVHS, transit, and demand management techniques are featured. Also part of this process is the development of a transportation financial plan for the region. The objectives of this process is to develop a fiscal envelope that will give a reasonable picture of how much funding can be expected for the region, develop innovative financial techniques to pay for future projects, and develop a financial plan to implement the long range plan. A Financial Task Force was created to deal with these objectives. Members of this task force include officials from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, the City of Pittsburgh, and local economists and financial representatives from the region's banking community.
Publication Year: 1993
Publication Date: 1993-09-01
Language: en
Type: article
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